Angelonia plant named ‘Anwhitim’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Angelonia  plant named ‘Anwhitim’, characterized by its upright plant habit; freely branching habit; freely flowering habit; large white-colored flowers; and good garden performance.

Botanical designation: Angelonia hybrida.

Cultivar denomination: ‘ANWHITIM’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Angelonia, botanically known as Angelonia hybrida and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Anwhitim’.

The new Angelonia is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Dresden, Germany. The objective of the breeding program is to create new compact and freely-flowering Angelonia cultivars with attractive flower coloration.

The new Angelonia originated from a cross-pollination made by the Inventor during the summer of 2003 in Dresden, Germany of two unnamed proprietary selections of Angelonia hybrida, not patented. The new Angelonia was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant within the progeny of the stated cross-pollination in a controlled environment in Dresden, Germany during the summer of 2004.

Asexual reproduction of the new Angelonia by cuttings in a controlled environment in Dresden, Germany since December, 2004, has shown that the unique features of this new Angelonia are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The cultivar Anwhitim has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment and cultural practices such as temperature and light intensity without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Anwhitim’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Anwhitim’ as a new and distinct cultivar of Angelonia:

-   -   1. Upright plant habit.     -   2. Freely branching habit.     -   3. Freely flowering habit.     -   4. Large white-colored flowers.     -   5. Good garden performance.

Plants of the new Angelonia differ from plants of the parent selections primarily in plant and flowering habit as plants of the new Angelonia are more freely branching and freely flowering than plants of the parent selections.

Plants of the new Angelonia can be compared to plants of the cultivar Anwhit, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 13,179. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Dresden, Germany, plants of the new Angelonia and the cultivar Anwhit differed in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Angelonia were more compact and less         vigorous than plants of the cultivar Anwhit.     -   2. Plants of the new Angelonia had shorter internodes than         plants of the cultivar Anwhit.     -   3. Plants of the new Angelonia were more freely branching than         plants of the cultivar Anwhit.     -   4. Plants of the new Angelonia flowered two weeks earlier than         plants of the cultivar Anwhit.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPH

The accompanying colored photograph illustrates the overall appearance of the new Angelonia, showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photograph may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Angelonia. The photograph comprises a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Anwhitim’ grown in a container.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photograph and following observations, measurements and values describe plants grown in Dresden, Germany during the winter and spring in 13-cm containers and under commercial practice in a glass-covered greenhouse with day temperatures averaging 20° C., night temperatures averaging 16° C. and light levels ranging from 15 kilolux to 100 kilolux. Plants were pinched twice, two and five weeks after planting. Plants had been growing for about four months when the photograph was taken and for about five months when the description was taken. In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 1995 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Angelonia hybrida cultivar Anwhitim. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Unnamed proprietary selection of             Angelonia hybrida, not patented.         -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Unnamed proprietary selection of             Angelonia hybrida, not patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—By cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots.—About 20 days at 20° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant.—About four weeks at             20° C.         -   Root description.—Fine, fibrous; white in color.         -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching; moderately dense. -   Plant description:     -   -   Plant form/habit.—Herbaceous perennial. Upright plant habit;             broad inverted triangle. Freely branching habit; when             pinched, about eight lateral branches develop per plant.             Moderately vigorous growth habit.         -   Plant height.—About 45 cm.         -   Plant width (spread).—About 30 cm.         -   Lateral branches.—Length: About 30 cm. Diameter: About 3 mm.             Internode length: About 1.5 cm to 2.5 cm. Strength:             Moderately strong to strong. Texture: Pubescent. Color:             Close to 144A. -   Foliage description:     -   -   Arrangement.—Opposite, decussate; simple; sessile.         -   Length.—About 2 cm to 10 cm.         -   Width.—About 1.5 cm to 2 cm.         -   Shape.—Lanceolate to oblong.         -   Apex.—Acute.         -   Base.—Attenuate.         -   Margin.—Serrate.         -   Texture, upper and lower surfaces.—Smooth, glabrous; viscid.         -   Venation pattern.—Pinnate.         -   Color.—Developing leaves, upper surface: Close to 137A.             Developing leaves, lower surface: Close to 137B. Fully             expanded leaves, upper surface: Close to 137A; venation,             close to 137C. Fully expanded leaves, lower surface: Close             to 137B; midvein, close to 145B; lateral veins, close to             137C. -   Flower description:     -   -   Flower type/habit.—Single flowers arranged in terminal             racemes; flowers face mostly outward. Freely flowering             habit; dense inflorescences.         -   Fragrance.—None detected.         -   Natural flowering season.—Continuously flowering from             mid-May until frost in Central Europe. Flowers not             persistent.         -   Postproduction longevity.—Flowers last about 20 days on the             plant.         -   Flower buds.—Height: About 5 mm. Diameter: About 5 mm.             Shape: Globular. Color: Close to 137A.         -   Inflorescence height.—About 15 cm.         -   Inflorescence diameter.—About 8 cm.         -   Flower diameter.—About 3.2 cm by 2.7 cm.         -   Flower depth.—About 1 cm.         -   Petals.—Quantity per flower: Typically five in a single             whorl; petals fused at the base. Length: About 1 cm. Width:             About 1.5 cm. Shape: Roughly spatulate. Apex: Rounded.             Margin: Entire; undulate. Texture, upper and lower surfaces:             Smooth, glabrous; velvety. Color: When opening and fully             opened, upper surface: Close to 155D. When opening and fully             opened, lower surface: Close to 155D.         -   Sepals.—Quantity per flower: Typically five in a single             whorl. Length: About 5 mm. Width: About 3 mm. Shape: Ovate.             Apex: Acute. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and lower             surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color, upper surface: Close to             139A. Color, lower surface: Close to 139B.         -   Pedicels.—Length: About 2 cm. Diameter: About 1 mm. Angle:             Outward to slightly upright, less than 90° from vertical.             Strength: Moderately strong; flexible. Texture: Pubescent.             Color: Close to 146B.         -   Reproductive organs.—Stamens: Quantity per flower: Typically             four. Filament length: About 3 mm. Filament color: Close to             155D. Anther shape: Elliptic. Anther length: About 2 mm.             Anther color: Brown to grey. Pollen amount: Moderate. Pollen             color: Close to 155D. Pistils: Quantity per flower: One.             Pistil length: About 5 mm. Stigma shape: Tapering. Stigma             color: Close to 155D. Style length: About 4 mm. Style color:             Close to 155D. Ovary color: Close to 177A.         -   Fruits.—Length: About 5 mm. Diameter: About 5 mm. Color:             Close to 177B.         -   Seeds.—Quantity per flower: About 30 to 50. Length: Less             than 1 mm. Diameter: Less than 1 mm. Color: Light brown. -   Disease/pest resistance: Plants of the new Angelonia have not been     noted to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to Angelonia. -   Garden performance: Plants of the new Angelonia have been observed     to have good garden performance and tolerate rain, wind and     temperatures ranging from about 1° C. to 30° C. 

1. A new and distinct Angelonia plant named ‘Anwhitim’ as illustrated and described. 